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After scoring the first touchdown of his record-setting day, Priest Holmes had a disquieting feeling something else was beckoning.
To be sure, the NFL record for touchdowns rushing in a season now belonged to Kansas City's Pro Bowl running back when he scored on a 1-yard run against Chicago and passed Emmitt Smith.
But still within
reach was Marshall Faulk's overall TD record of 26.
``It's like walking up to a door,'' he said. ``You get to the door and you don't
actually go inside. I was given the opportunity of scoring the 27th touchdown
-- it's my house. The standard is mine.''
In the third period, after Greg Wesley's interception of Kordell Stewart's pass, Holmes vaulted over a stack of linemen for a 2-yard TD, giving him the distinction of knocking two all-time great running backs out of the record book on the same afternoon.
Holmes, whose father is a master sergeant in the Army reserve and is headed next week for Iraq, had his big day with his parents in the stands.
An hour after the game, he admitted the magnitude of what he'd done following worrisome offseason hip surgery had not yet sunk in.
``I've looked up to Tony Dorsett, Walter Payton, different individuals like that, and always seeing those guys in the record book,'' he said. ``It's really amazing to have such a blessing given to me and being the person to be able to hold this record.''
His teammates vowed to get him in position for the record.
``He is the most unselfish man I've ever played with,'' said right tackle John Tait. ``We were all determined to get him the record.''
Holmes, who came into the league as an undrafted free agent in 1997, has led all NFL running backs with 6,576 total yards the past three years.
Signed by the Chiefs in 2001, he is one of the best free-agent pickups in league history.
``We wanted Priest Holmes to leave with both records today,'' said coach Dick Vermeil, who helped talk Holmes into signing with Kansas City after Baltimore let him go. ``That's an unbelievable accomplishment when you stop and think how many running backs have carried the ball in the National Football League, and nobody's done it any more efficiently in the goal line area scoring touchdowns than that guy.''
When he underwent hip surgery last spring, Holmes set the touchdown record as his 2003 goal. With a 24-yard scoring run against San Diego in the opener, he put an immediate end to speculation the surgery had seriously diminished his skills.
He had only two touchdown run of more than 15 yards and 18 were 5 yards or shorter. The longest was a 31-yard run against Pittsburgh.
``We wanted to get him in
the end zone,'' said quarterback Trent Green. ``Everybody knew we were going
to give him the ball if we got down there.''